Checking in with Yahoo draft expert J. Murphy

Q)Tell us a little bit about Vernon Gholston. How good of an NFL player do you think he can be, and does he have loose enough hips to be a real good 3-4 OLB?

Q)Tell us a little bit about Vernon Gholston. How good of an NFL player do you think he can be, and does he he loose hips to be a real good 3-4 OLB?

Murphy: Gholston is likely to run in the 4.55-4.60 range. He is very explosive. He played OLB in the past so it is not brand new to him. His best assets are his speed, athleticism and play going up-field. He may not be a great guy dropping back, but can get to his zone if called upon. Guys like Ware and Merriman are steady/effective in that role, but it is their ability to create plays, wreak havoc and have the QB's always pointing them out that get them drafted so high.

Q)Can you talk about the top two or three 3-4 OLB prospects after Vernon and their plusses and minuses?

Murphy: There is Quentin Groves of Auburn. He is under-sized for DE in some minds. He is active and can get after the QB. He had an up-and-down senior campaign, so the NFL Combine will be big for him. He missed the Senior Bowl due to a shoulder injury.

Cliff Avril of Purdue dominated most of the 1-on-1's at the Senior Bowl. He is 6-3, 250, so at times he can get engulfed at the point-of-attack, but he has the ability to get to the QB.

Tommy Blake of TCU had a possible 1st round grade entering the season, and now is a working to get back into shape and prove he can be seen as one of the top pass rushers in this year's class... needs to have a big combine to entice teams into seeing him as a high round choice.

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